Lines
by FlowerPot21
Summary: Boundaries are powerless against true love...(WC vignette turned actual story by request) Definitely PG13 territory now!
1. Default Chapter

Lines

In every job, there are rules, guidelines, boundaries. Everyone is expected to follow them to the letter, and more often than not, personal suffering was a common result, although the makers of the rules assume that the people following them know how to deal with them. Like Grissom would often say, "Assume nothing".

Warrick often had these reflections when thinking about or being around Catherine Willows. It was no secret that he had developed a tremendous amount of feeling for her. He knew her well enough, so why shouldn't he? He saw her through the last years of her abusive marriage, helped her out with her daughter Lindsay, and was there for her when she needed to tell him something that could only stay between them.

His friendship and respect for her turned into a feeling that he often repressed because he was afraid that it would lead to another mistake, like with Lily.

But looking into her beautiful and captivating blue eyes, he knew that whatever happened between him and this woman would surely not be something he'd regret.

Warrick held Catherine in an embrace a little bit too comfortably, the feeling so right and commonplace that it scared him. It had been a long time since he last held her so closely; so close that their faces were a mere tantalizing inches apart, their lips close enough to make contact for the first time.

He knew that it was against departmental "policy" to have relations with other coworkers in the workplace, especially on the clock. It wasn't a written rule, it was just something that wasn't done by sheer _de facto_.

Warrick had lost count of how many lines he and Catherine had crossed in their moment of closeness, but when she smiled and wrapped her arms around him tighter, her eyes expressing more than words could say, he forgot about the rules and regulations as he crossed the final line into the oblivion of Catherine Willows.

Her crystal blue eyes twinkled as she smiled wider, then she sighed.

"Um," Catherine started as her grip loosened from around him. "We better get this stuff back to the lab."

"Yeah," Warrick agreed as he removed his hands slowly from the small of her back.

They reluctantly separated and grabbed their kits. It wasn't until then that Warrick realized that they hadn't chosen the most romantic time to cuddle. It was scorching hot, a reminder that the last few days of summer were going to be killers, and they had just finished gathering evidence from the bowels of Las Vegas. Literally. Crime scenes in sewers posed no fun. On top of that, they had on tank tops, utility vests, and company issued jumpsuits on for protection from the elements. It was a great thing that they weren't shallow in their attraction for each other, other wise, whatever feelings they had for each other would have been doomed.

He opened the back of their vehicle and they put their kits away and Catherine's hand brushed his. They both pretended not to notice.

They came into contact again when they bumped into each other trying to go opposing ways.

"Sorry," Catherine giggled.

Warrick grinned and went around her, but she went the same way, and they both laughed, all the while, electricity was spreading through their bodies.

Catherine indicated which direction she was going and Warrick nodded.

Warrick knew that it was going to be one of _those_ shifts. The kind where for some particular reason he felt he had to be around Catherine the whole time, not necessarily invading her space, just hanging around, watching her, bantering with her, bouncing ideas with her.

They both glanced at each other and then looked away just as quickly.

It was going to be one of _those_ long shifts.


	2. Chapter Two

Lines

Chapter Two

Catherine sat in the lab, staring down a microscope trying to sort out what exactly happened between her and Warrick. What prompted their embrace in the first place? Maybe it was the adrenaline pumping through her body when the man they thought was dead suddenly bust up from the water, scaring the wits out of them.

Laughing about it, she hugged him, and with more ease than what she knew he was normally comfortable with, he wrapped his strong arms around her.

"I'm thinking too much into this," she growled to herself as she fixed herself coffee in the break room.

"Thinking about what?" Nick asked.

She turned.

"Oh, nothing," she sighed as she sipped at the surprisingly good coffee. "Trying to psych myself up into drinking this delicious smelling coffee."

Nick chuckled.

"Yeah, Greg brought in his special brew tonight," Nick said as he started fixing his own coffee. "You know, as long as I've known that kid, I still don't know where he keeps his coffee stash."

"Nicky, I'm afraid no one will ever know," Catherine giggled.

She finished off her coffee then she headed to the labs to find Warrick. She found him in the layout room going over some objects they found in the sewer that could have something to do with their victim's murder.

"Hey," she said, feeling refreshed and calm from the coffee.

He looked up at her and a hint of a smile came across his face.

"Hey," he greeted her back. "Good break?"

"Yeah," she explained. "Good coffee."

Neither spoke for a moment, both feeling an inexplicable joy and comfort in each other's presence. Green eyes met blue as they both sought their next words. All thought had retreated their minds, leaving only their visions of each other.

"I found a wallet," Warrick started, averting his gaze from hers. "I haven't opened it yet. You care to do the honors?"

She smiled and snapped on a pair of gloves.

"Sure," she said with a bright smile.

Their hands brushed again as she took the wallet from his hands. Catherine blushed like a fool and she bowed her head to the table to hide it from him.

The wallet she held in her hand was water logged and covered with God only knew what kind of vermin.

"Catherine," Warrick started as he leaned in close to her to observe the contents of the wallet. "About this afternoon. You weren't-"

"No," she broke in, a little nervous at his proximity. "You didn't-"

"Of course not," he finished.

"Then, I guess its settled?" She asked, looking into his eyes.

"Yeah," he said.

She turned her attention back to the wallet as she opened it up. A small stream of water dripped out and clumps of dirt followed. She could feel his breath over her shoulder, the hairs at the nape of her neck tickling; with the feeling came a small wave of wantonness and a desire to lean into him, surrendering herself wholly. He seemed unaware of the affect he had on her, or at least he pretended to be. She didn't know: he didn't move away from her, nor did he move closer.

With a shuddering intake of breath, she pushed a few strands of hair away from her flushed face. She placed the wallet onto the table and moved aside.

"The victim's name was Nick Bell," she explained, gaining control of herself.

Warrick nodded.

"I figured," he said. "He was reported missing three days ago."

He turned to her.

"Okay," he started. "Now that we have a name, we can retrace his steps and maybe it will lead us to where he was killed."

She nodded thoughtfully.

"Well, let's go through the rest of it," she said, reaching over him, her hand directly on top of his.

They both noticed and Catherine immediately withdrew her hand.

"Sorry," she whispered bashfully.

Warrick watched as Catherine's cheeks began to glow with a pink blush. He felt his heart skip a beat at their contact over the span of a few hours. First an embrace, then slight brushings of hands. The more they played this strange game, the deeper his affections grew. He saw great concentration being etched into her face at the moment; she was most likely trying not to think about her hand's contact with his own.

A strand of hair fell from behind her ear and before she could push it back, he did, lightly and somewhat teasingly .

Catherine smiled.

"Thanks," she said.

They both knew that their subtleties of affection were blatant and obvious, but neither seemed to care.

"Well, that's about it," she sighed, looking up at him. "Nick had no family, nor any cash."

"Thanks Catherine," he said as he glanced at his watch. "Shift's over now."

Catherine nodded.

"I'll see you later," she whispered before heading out.


	3. Chapter Three

Lines

Chapter Three

Memories of how his breath felt on her neck, the warmth of his hand, and the comfort of his embrace was like a silhouette across drapery. She had never reacted so strongly to him before. She found that she could not mimic these feelings: Chris had been good to her for a while, but he never incited such stirrings of desire and rapture.

Not even holding his hand sparked feelings remotely similar.

"What did you expect? I work in a nightclub."

Those were his exact words to Catherine when she walked in on him cheating on her. The memories and feelings of that night still stung her emotionally. She really thought that she had found somebody to relate to: someone who would understand her past and how she floated in and out of both worlds as a mother and a career woman. She wasn't expecting to spend the rest of her life with him. So, when she found him with another woman, she felt utterly worthless. She felt no more worth than the barmaids did clad in their skimpy outfits.

Verbally, she said nothing, biting her tongue and promptly walking out.

Even thinking about it at the moment made her eyes water with tears. Why was she the one feeling the hurt so bad?

The ordeal was over and done she decided, weeks over, and now she had time to herself and time to center her attentions and her devotion to her daughter. Lindsay had been slipping further and further away from her. Catherine blamed herself for that. She missed her daddy dearly and sometimes, when she caught the ten year old sleeping, she could hear her whispering, "daddy".

Catherine felt so much anger and resentment toward her deceased ex husband. There was a part of her that still loved him, and that kept her from completely falling in love with someone else.

The only love of her life right now was her distressed daughter.

Lindsay was violently turning her room inside out for a favorite teddy-one that her father had gotten her. Catherine watched in anguish as the child hurled toys, books, and other various objects within her reach across the room. She had already broken two figurines.

"Baby, stop it," Catherine said softly as she tentatively approached her daughter. "Linds, just stop honey and take a deep breath."

The little girl began to cry hysterically.

"I can't find it mom!" She cried. "I can't find daddy's teddy! I want my teddy! I want my daddy!"

Catherine's heart broke in two and she began to weep over her lost daughter. She blamed herself doubly this time; she had abandoned her daughter in selfish pursuit of a personal life, which turned out to be a failure. She wrapped her arms around her daughter, enjoying the feel of her flushed chubby cheeks. Things she had missed out on in her daughter's grief.

"I'm sorry baby," Catherine wept into Lindsay's blonde hair. "I'm so sorry. I know you miss daddy. I miss him too."

Lindsay cried for a long while; all of her repressed anger and aggression from earlier pouring from her body as she relaxed further and further into her mother's bosom. All the while Catherine wept as she went through the events of the fateful night Eddie died in her mind over and over again, shattering her heart every time.

They both fell asleep on the floor of Lindsay's cluttered bedroom, emotionally drained and exhausted.

When Catherine awoke several hours later, she found her little girl still sleeping on her chest. Catherine picked up her girl and put her gently on the bed and let her sleep.

Catherine kissed Lindsay on her cheek before heading out into the living room.

She glanced at the clock. It was almost twelve in the afternoon. Lindsay should have been in school, but Catherine's sister called and said that Lindsay wasn't feeling up to school and that she was having crying fits again.

Catherine sank into her sofa and rubbed her temples.

O-O-O

Warrick could tell from Catherine's haggard appearance that something had not gone right over the last twelve hours.

She'd told him about her break up with Chris, and she didn't seem too broken up about it, although she was hurt that it had to end the way it did. She couldn't be crying over him, could she?

He watched as she nursed a cup of coffee frantically, throwing sugars down onto the counter with more force than usual, and shifting her weight angrily from one foot to the other.

"Hey Cath," he started.

"What?" She asked somewhat flustered.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked. "Are you okay?"

She sighed and sat down at the table.

"It's Lindsay," she began to explain softly. "She's been so difficult lately, but I only have myself to blame for that. I was so wrapped up in trying to find myself a personal life and I left my daughter out in the cold. I mean-am I a bad mother?"

Warrick was not surprised that she asked that question because it wasn't the first time she'd asked it.

"Catherine, you already know the answer to that question," he said rather reproaching. "I think that you're a great mom."

"I beg to differ," she growled. "Lindsay is so angry with me, with everybody for that matter! She misses her father terribly and it hurts my heart to see her cry all of the time and to hear that she's been fighting in school. I've lost complete and utter control of my baby."

By now, Catherine had abandoned her cup of coffee and she wiped her tears.

"I'm a terrible, selfish mother," she wept.

She got up and turned away from him, trying to regain some composure. He would have none of that though, and he walked over to her and turned her back to face him.

She looked beautiful with tears. He never noticed that before. Her blue eyes twinkled with flowing tears and sharp emotion, and his heart went out to her.

No words passed between them.

Without even thinking, Warrick softly and gently place his hand on her wet cheek and caught the next tear that fell on his thumb. Feeling her salty tear on his skin sent waves of both anguish and desire through his entire body. Her porcelain skin was soft and creamy, flushed with anger and something else he couldn't quite identify.

She placed her hand on top of his.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I have to go."

The moment she slipped away from his touch, she felt empty again; the tendrils of comfort and want disappeared from her senses just as she realized that they were in the break room.

She cast one final glance back at him before heading down the hallway.

Warrick stared after her a little longer than usual, making him subject to jokes, and knowing looks from other coworkers. He knew that he shouldn't be thinking about her do intensely, but he couldn't help it. From the first day he met her, there was something captivating about her that always made him admire each aspect of her even more.

He knew that he shouldn't be feeling this way.

Both of them knew that they were crossing into forbidden territory. But it could not be helped one way or the other.


	4. Chapter Four

Lines

Chapter Four

Catherine wept in the locker room.

Her cheek was still burning both from Warrick's touch and the flush that seized it. Why did he have to do that? So many thoughts and feelings ran through her body and mind just from his light caress. What she was feeling for him now went beyond platonic and that was exactly what she was afraid of. After so many years, she was finally in tune to her affection for him.

Seeing him now, she knew that what she was feeling was genuine. Warrick was mature, responsible, accountable, loving and gentle. A complete difference from what he used to be just a few short years before when he was still fairly young and with different priorities.

But she couldn't think about him right now. She had to pull herself together and think about her daughter. Lindsay tried her hand at school today, and she pretty well. Catherine assisted her with makeup work and prepared her things for the weekend with her cousins. Lindsay always enjoyed staying with her cousins.

For the most part, Catherine was proud of her daughter for trying so hard to be brave through her father's death. It was hard enough for Catherine to completely get over it because in the back of her mind somewhere, she still wondered if she and Eddie could have tried again. If she would have relented and let him back into her life. The answer to that question always eluded her because in her mind, if he was abusive toward her once, he would surely do it again and she couldn't put her daughter and herself in that position again.

When he died, however, she displaced her anger onto Sara, who wasn't able to close the case completely because of conflicting stories and evidence. Catherine knew that it wasn't the younger woman's fault, but Sara bore the brunt of her anger and criticism and for a moment, Catherine wondered if she had contributed to Sara's predicament.

Sara took her job very seriously and she always took cases personally. She noticed the woman's drastic changes and withdrawal. Sara was desperately seeking approval for something, and Catherine could not give that to her by just being her friend, so she avoided Sara often.

Catherine wiped her tears and ran her fingers through her hair. Just then, Sara, of all people, walked into the locker room.

"Hey Cath," she said, concern filling her voice. "What's the matter?"

"I'm just thinking," she whispered as she got up. "I'll see you later Sara."

"Okay," she said quietly. "Feel better Catherine."

Catherine grinned a little before heading out.

Her anger then turned to her wooden crate of an office. It was cramped and uncomfortable and she and Grissom needed to have a talk about that. Lately, he'd been ignoring her and avoiding the issue.

She was startled by two other people in her office.

"Hey!" She yelled in surprise.

Warrick and Nick turned around.

"What are you two doing in my office?" She asked. "It was locked."

"No it wasn't," Nick said. "Your keys are right here."

He jingled them for effect.

"Oh," she sighed. "Well, this is my cardboard box."

Warrick chuckled.

"Aren't you just a little bit grateful?" He asked. "This is a perk."

"Oh, yeah," she said sarcastically, pushing both men aside to get to her desk. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Nick chuckled.

"Spoken like a true supervisor in training," he laughed.

Catherine glared at him.

"You have ten seconds to tell me what you need," she growled.

Warrick broke in.

"We were looking for some file folders," he said.

"Why don't you look in Grissom's office?" She asked.

"Cause it's Grissom's office," Nick quipped. "_He_ can't even find what he's looking for in there."

Catherine smirked and went to her neatly organized file drawers and pulled out three extra file folders.

"I should start charging," she said as she handed over the folders.

"Aw, where's your sense of charity?" Nick asked.

"Out," she commanded.

Nick left but Warrick stayed behind.

"What are you waiting for?" She chuckled.

"I just wanted to ask you if you're feeling better," he started. "You were pretty broken up a while ago."

"Oh," she sighed in remembrance. "I'm getting there. You know, rehashing."

He nodded and took in her appearance. She had stopped crying not too long ago. Her eyes were red and puffy and she had mussed eyeliner. She had not reapplied as of yet, and he figured that he and Nick had interrupted her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.

"No, I'm over it," she said, waving a hand of dismissal.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

Catherine glared at him, cursing his perceptiveness. But she did need to get a lot of things off of her chest and she knew that he would be the only person who would understand. With that, her glare softened and she relented to the idea of talking.

"I do need to talk," she sighed. "But not here."

"Do you want to go get some dinner after shift?" He asked.

Catherine felt her heart skip a few beats momentarily at his question. She'd never shared a meal with just him before. Usually, if she went for a meal it was with her other coworkers or just Grissom.

The air became thick between them and suddenly, the moment turned awkward.

Warrick feared that he may have struck a sensitive nerve within her. She had not answered his proposal for dinner and she just stood and looked at him dumbly.

"Catherine?" He asked, bringing her from her panicked subconscious.

"Oh, right," she mumbled. "Yes, I'd like that very much."

Warrick regarded her strangely for a moment then he approached her.

"I'll meet you in the parking lot," he said.

Again, they were closer to each other than they should have been: in her office, with the door closed. Immediate scandal would ensue the moment he stepped out, but she didn't care one iota. Looking into his eyes, she saw something more than friendship darkening them. Little did she know that it was likewise on his end, looking down into her blue eyes. His breath on her face incited the same feelings as she remembered, and this time, her body reacted much more strongly due to his proximity.

Warrick felt the wave of desire he felt earlier when he caressed her cheek. Suddenly missing the feel of her soft cheek, he lifted his hand slowly to her flushed cheek and caressed teasingly, enjoying the reaction she gave him. She inhaled a ragged breath and closed her eyes. She felt herself slowly giving in to the years long temptation. Her heart pounded furiously within her chest; she could hear it in her ears and Warrick was close enough to where he could probably hear it too.

For some reason, they couldn't stop what they were doing; each was drowning out their rational voices in the backs of their minds. They had abandoned all reason and stopped thinking clearly, getting lost in a haze.

By now, their lips were barely touching, and Warrick had trailed his hand gently and slowly down from her cheek to the hollow of her creamy, sensual neck, to her shoulder, pushing aside her hair. The fingers of his other hand interlaced with hers.

"Warrick…"she whispered hotly.

A knock on the door caused them to step away from each other quickly. Catherine was feeling dizzy and flushed from their _very_ close contact. Warrick took a few deep breaths to get himself under control again as the door opened.

It was Greg.

Just their luck.

"Hey guys I-" he stopped mid-sentence when he took in their appearances and their walking away from each other. Catherine had her hands on her hips and Warrick ran a hand over his face, which was showing some signs of perspiration. Catherine's face was flushed as well. "Heated debate?"

"Yeah, something like that," Catherine growled. "What do you want Greg?"

Greg gulped audibly and shook his head at their mood.

"Nothing, it can wait 'til later," he said then he quickly stepped out, closing the door behind him.

Catherine turned to face Warrick.

"We can't keep doing this," she whispered. "Besides, it would change everything."

Warrick sighed and took her hand again.

"Would that be a bad thing?" He asked.

She gave him no answer.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"You don't have to be sorry," she said. "It's just that, I don't know, it's been years Warrick and…"

She shook her head.

"Never mind," she said. "Let's just have dinner."

Warrick nodded.

"I'll see you later," he said, squeezing her hand before opening the door and heading down the hallway.


	5. Chapter Five

Lines

Chapter Five

They ended up deciding on Denny's for dinner.

Catherine pushed around her Caesar salad, now unappetizing after a few bites. She sighed, no longer interested in her food. Warrick had ordered a turkey sandwich.

He finished up his dinner then looked at her.

"Aren't you going to eat?" He asked.

"I'm not that hungry anymore," she said despairingly.

She dropped her fork and it landed on the glass bowl with a loud clank and she pushed her food away angrily.

"What's bothering you?" He asked, a little fearful of her mood.

"I feel so worthless," she admitted. "I've abandoned my daughter. I just don't know what to do anymore."

"You're not worthless Catherine," he said. "Did that Chris guy tell you that?"

"No," she explained. "It was just what he told me when I caught him cheating on me."

"What did he say?" Warrick asked.

"He said 'What did you expect? I run a nightclub'."

Warrick shook his head, anger etching his face.

"He's lucky Nick and I don't frequent that bar," he said. "Because I would have gone in their and knocked his ass to the ground. He didn't deserve you Catherine. Don't make yourself feel bad. You're worth more than you'll ever know."

Catherine smiled faintly.

"Thanks," she said. "It just hurts so bad to be faithful to someone and they stab you in the back."

Warrick nodded.

"Listen, about what happened in my office, I'm sorry if I-"

"Are we going to go through that again?" He asked with a chuckle. "I'm not sorry, and you shouldn't be."

"Yeah," she agreed. "But still, what's happening between us Warrick? I don't understand and I'm scared."

"I don't understand any better than you do," he admitted.

Catherine sighed.

"Let's just go," she said.

O-O-O

Warrick took her home and walked her to her door.

"Thank you for dinner," she said with a smile. "Next time, I pay."

"I asked," he shrugged.

"Would you like to come in for a second?" She asked.

"Um, no, that's probably not a good idea," he said. "Remember what happened last time behind closed doors."

Catherine chuckled.

"True."

She unlocked her door and entered it.

"Good night," she whispered.

"Good night," Warrick said back.

She turned then she mumbled something to the effect of "you know what" and "screw it".

Before he knew it, she had rushed back to him and swept them both into a searing, passionate kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and deepened their first kiss. Warrick wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against his body. He gently guided her to a wall next to her opened front door and continued to kiss her.

They had both waited for so long for this moment. All of their repressed feelings of love and passion came pouring forth through their kiss and both felt their bodies relax naturally into the crevices that were made for intimate human contact. Her soft hands caressing his back and shoulders sent tendrils of unbridled desire through him and his need for her grew.

Catherine felt like she was on fire. She had never reacted so strongly to any man like this before.

She pulled him inside her house and she landed on another wall. Their hands were roaming everywhere. He tangled his fingers in her hair, caressed her skin under her shirt, and caressed her cheeks. She had unbuttoned his shirt almost halfway, and she caressed the back of his neck.

As their pulsing passion ebbed, so did the kiss, and it became more gentle and peppering. Catherine's breathing was labored and her face was flushed with heat. She rested her forehead against Warrick's and grinned. He grinned back and smoothed down her hair.

Catherine found herself becoming dizzy with overwhelming love and giddiness and she sank into his arms.

He lowered her to the floor to sit down. She was glowing with euphoria; her skin was bright and flawless and the glow in her cheeks made her all the more beautiful.

Warrick got up and closed her front door, then he sat beside her and took her hand in his. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed pleasantly.


	6. Chapter Six

Lines

Chapter Six

Catherine stared out of her bedroom window at the clear blue sky. She already knew that it was going to be a warm day out. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and the sun was bright over the horizon.

She sighed and wrapped her arms around her middle, remembering the events of the night before. Her skin still burned from Warrick's hands roaming over it, and her lips swelled just from thinking about their sultry kiss. Her heart started pounding in her chest at the sensations.

Warrick asked her if she wanted to get something to eat again after the next shift. She accepted happily, still riding on the waves of pleasure and excitement after their kiss. They shared one last, lingering kiss before he left to go home. She went to bed feeling warm and complete. Her head swam with dizziness as she let her sleepiness overwhelm her, her heart feeling what she hadn't allowed herself to feel in a long time.

Now that it was morn, she could think clearly. She and Warrick had developed something new and deep, and that in it of itself had both petrified her and excited her. Her relationship with her daughter, however, had deteriorated, and she had no idea how to mend it. She hoped that her relationship with Warrick would change her outlook a little bit. It definitely changed Catherine's and she now felt optimistic.

Catherine climbed back into bed and relaxed into her pillows, hopes and memories filling her mind as she fell asleep again.


	7. Chapter Seven

Lines

Chapter Seven

No matter how hard Warrick tried to get Catherine off of his mind, he failed miserably. He got called in to do a follow up on some paper work, and he could barely concentrate on what he was doing.

He thought about calling her later, but he figured that she still might be asleep, or spending some time with Lindsay.

Either way, he missed being around her.

His cell phone rang and he answered.

"Brown."

"Hey," Catherine said happily.

"Hey," he said, a grin spreading across his face. "How are you?"

"I'm good," she chuckled. "You?"

"I'm fine," he said. "Are we still going out after shift?"

"Of course," she chimed. "But, if anyone asks, how are we going to explain just us going out after shift twice in a row? Greg is already asking questions."

"We'll just say we're going as friends," he said casually. "But I'm not too worried about that."

Catherine sighed on her end of the line.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

"I'm just thinking about Lindsay," Catherine explained. "We used to be so close. I don't know what happened to that. And instead of me being there for my baby when she needed me, I hooked up with that jerk off," she sniffled. "She misses her daddy so much."

"Catherine, you and Lindsay are going to be just fine," he assured her. "Listen, if you need to spend some time with her, we can go out another time…"

"No, she's with her cousins," she said. "We can spend some time together…by the way, where are you in the lab?"

"In your office," he said with a smile. "It was the only quiet place here. We have a new lab tech."

"Oh," she said knowingly. "Well, just keep it neat for me."

"I will," he promised. "I better let you go."

"Oh, yeah," she sighed. "I'll see you later okay?"

"Okay," he said. "Bye."

"Bye."

O-O-O

The end of shift finally came, and Catherine rushed to the locker room to upsweep her hair, change her shirt, reapply some lipstick and gloss, and change her shoes.

She asked Warrick for about twenty minutes at the most, and he allowed her that time. He was taking her to a nicer restaurant this time around, and she knew that she would have to primp a little.

Sara came in just as she was putting on some shiny gloss.

"Hey," she said. "You look nice. Got a date tonight?"

"Yeah," Catherine said. "Kind of," she noticed Sara's appearance. "You don't look so bad yourself there chick. I know you're feeling one hundred percent better."

Sara looked skeptical for a moment.

"I'm getting there," she said with a slight smile.

"Well, at least you smile more," Catherine chuckled. "Well, I better go. I'll see you."

Catherine rushed out to the parking lot where she found Warrick. The night wasn't as chilly as expected and she was able to go without putting on a jacket. She could show off her lavender satin tank top with lace trim. She was mulling over the question of whether or not it was really a "date" that they were going on. Of course, her state of dress suggested that it most likely was, but in her heart, she knew that it was still friendly. Or maybe it wasn't. But their kiss the night before surely wasn't on a friendly level.

He gave her a once over and he grinned.

"You look good," he said, taking her hand. "In fact, you look damn good after twenty minutes."

"Thank you," she said before giving him a soft kiss.

On the way to the restaurant, Warrick couldn't keep his eyes off of her. She looked stunning, as usual, but on this night, she looked especially ravishing because he was able to see more of her skin. Her hair was up away from her face and neck, and he got an eyeful of her long, dancer's neck. He found a few spots that he might try kissing if given the chance.

Catherine felt him glancing at her and she grinned discreetly. She was guilty as charged likewise, feeling a rush of want run through her body at the smell of his cologne, the way his shirt fit on his well muscled body, and discovering just how sexy the man driving really was. Physical desire had established itself thoroughly, and now the temptation was even greater. No, she couldn't think about that now. It would ruin everything between them. It would ruin years of friendship and trust. They were going out on an already flimsy limb having dinners together after shift. The bough would certainly break if they went where their bodies were aching to go.

It was a nice Italian restaurant, complete with a romantically dim atmosphere and second floor patio.

Once inside, Warrick, always the gentleman, pulled the chair out for her and she smiled, a flush rising in her cheeks. His soft hands landed on her shoulders and he leaned down and gave her a kiss to her neck. She closed her eyes to the wave of arousal that coursed through her body. It felt so wonderful to have someone genuinely care about her and lavish her in this manner. The spoiled part of her was thinking that she could get used to this kind of treatment.

He ordered some wine and they began to talk.

"It's funny," Catherine started. "We know so much about each other, yet we don't know about each other."

Warrick chuckled and nodded.

"Well, let's start with our families," he said. "Where did you grow up?"

"I was born in Montana actually," she started, taking a small sip of her wine. "I lived on a ranch with my mother and father. When my parents got divorced, my mother and I moved out here and I finished out high school here. I was a rebellious teenager I suppose, and ended up in places you already know about."

"Hey, everyone's got a past," Warrick said.

"Yep," she agreed. "And what about you? What was your family like?"

"We're not that close," he said somewhat sadly. "My father left my mom before I was even born, and my mom died when I was seven. My grandmother basically raised me. I gave her hell, but she always stayed so patient with me. She's still living in the same house to this day."

"She did a good job," Catherine commented. "Really. You're a good man Warrick."

He only grinned bashfully, looking away and she giggled.

Two entrees, a few more glasses of wine, and a shared dessert later, they were in very good spirits and more than ready to head out.

"I can't believe you still remember that!" Catherine exclaimed. "That was ages ago! Oh my God, that was so embarrassing!"

"So that was you," Warrick laughed.

"Just get the check," she growled mock seriously.

They waited another twenty minutes for the check, and during that time, they scooted their chairs closer to each other and began kissing softly, igniting their souls.

"Mm," Catherine mumbled through a kiss. "When is that waiter going to show up again? I'm ready to go."

"Me too," Warrick whispered.

Finally, the waiter came with the check and Warrick paid quickly before they both got up and left in a hurry.

O-O-O

The drive back to his home seemed long and Catherine's patience wore thin.

She could not wait to get her hands on Warrick. They'd played games and danced around each other long enough.

As soon as he pulled into the driveway and parked, she pulled him to her by his collar and initiated a searing kiss. After the surprise of her action faded, he gave into her and kissed her deeper, taking down a few strands of her hair.

He moved to her neck and began to softly plant kisses there. She sighed then moaned in response.

Making out in a car seemed like such a teenager thing to do, but when in the throes of desire, it didn't matter what happened or where at the moment. Catherine had completely surrendered her body, mind and soul to Warrick, and she knew that whatever happened, it would not be in vain, and that whatever she felt for him would be reflected full force.

They shared one last passionate kiss before separating.

"We better go inside," Warrick suggested breathlessly.

"Yeah," Catherine agreed.

They didn't get one foot inside before she pounced him again, kissing him deeply and sensually. Somehow, Warrick managed to close the door and he pressed her against it and continued to kiss her.

They pulled away again, searching each other's eyes for the answer to the question they were both asking themselves. Catherine's eyes glinted with desire and she was panting from breathlessness. Warrick caressed her beet red cheek and traced the bone with his thumb.

"Is this what you want?" He asked.

Through the haze, Catherine managed to nod and she pulled him into a short kiss.

He took her hand and led her to his bedroom.

On the way, Catherine took the time to envy how neat he was; it was surprising actually because for Warrick being single, she assumed that being neat was the last thing on his mind. Telling from the well polished hardwood floors, shiny surfaces of tables and glass, and perfectly managed bathroom, he was a neat freak at heart, and that also aroused her because she knew that he would give her the same kind of gentle care that he gave his home.

Once in his bedroom, they stared at each other awkwardly for a moment, thinking that what they were intending to happen was only moments away. They both grinned, and Warrick gently pulled her to him. She leaned up and kissed him sensually before pulling away again.

Warrick began to take the rest of her hair down, collecting the bobby pins in one hand to set on his dresser, and using the other to smooth down her hair. Once her hair was undone, he placed the bobby pins on his dresser as he intended and then he placed his hands on her hips.

Catherine began to unbutton his shirt as his hands slipped under her shirt. They never broke eye contact as they did this, and it seemed more intimate somehow.

As more clothes began to come off, their lips barely touched, a torture which they seemed to enjoy much because it built their lust within them, and that was the most pleasurable longing of all. Her swollen, pink tinted lips gave him so much satisfaction because he was the one causing her body to react in this manner.

"Warrick…" She breathed, her voice full of passion.

It was then that he finally kissed her, lowered her to his bed, and began to make love to her.

O-O-O

Seeing her face aglow with arousal and released passion, hearing her voice cry out in unbridled ecstasy, and having her beautiful body wrapped tightly around him gave him more pleasure and a powerful release than he could ever have imagined. He kissed her softly, and brushed a few strands of hair from her face.

"You're beautiful, you know that?" He whispered breathlessly.

Catherine blushed.

"That was…" she panted. "Incredible."

The smiled at each other and they kissed sweetly before separating rather begrudgingly before letting their drowsiness consume them.


End file.
